Coenie Oosthuizen will miss the Free State Cheetahs’ Currie Cup promotion-relegation play-offs and the Springbok end-of-year tour because of a back injury.

The tighthead prop was taken off the field in the 24th minute of Free State’s 36-15 loss to WP last Saturday. This after recently recovering from a serious neck injury, which ruled him out for three months.

An immediate medical evaluation revealed that the player will be sidelined for 8-12 weeks.

‘It’s a totally new injury … I hurt my lower back against Province’ Oosthuizen told keo.co.za. ‘I’m going for another check-up with the doctors on Tuesday, but I’ve been told that it’s likely that I’ll miss the end-of-year tour.’

Oosthuizen’s injury is a big blow for the Cheetahs and Boks.

Free State will face off against First Division champions the EP Kings in the Currie Cup promotion-relegation play-offs. The Bloemfontein union have lost 13 first-choice players during the domestic campaign, including Springboks Johan Goosen and Heinrich Brussow.

The Boks will also lack tighthead prop depth as they head to Europe to face Ireland, Scotland and England, where they’ll receive a stern challenge in the scrum battles.